Electric lantern



Feb. 6, 1923. 11,444,267-

` A. A. PEARSON.

ELECTRIC LANTERN.

FILED OCT, l2, 1921` 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

514.6%. @GQ/:50M

Feb. 6, 1923.

11,444,267. A. A. PEARSON.

ELECTRIC LANTERN.

FILED OCTE 12| |921. 2 SHEETS- SHEET 2.

@How m o reanimeren. e, 192,3.

stares lai-M9267 ant caricia. l

ALBERT ANSON PEARSON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

` ELECTRIC LANTERN.

Application leddctober 12, 1921. Slerial No. 507,290.

invention, such as -will enable others skilledi .in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same. 1 This invention relates toanimproved tric lantern for use .by railroad menand one object of theinvention is to provide a .lan-

16 tern which is so constructed that it can be conveniently used forsignalling purposes and which can alsov be conveniently used for4throwing a light against the side of a car so that the number o"l thecar' or other data can 2e be readily made note of. V Y

Another object of the invention is to provide a lantern havingaplurality of bulbs oneof which will be preferabl white and the second ofwhichwill be o some other color and preferably red, limproved switchmeans being provided so that the bulbs may be selectively illuminated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved type of switchfor selectively illuminating a desired bulb, the switch being soconstructed that it can be easily moved into operative engagement withthe desired `bulb and further so constructed that itwillbe securelyheldin the adjusted position and not liable to readily slip out ofoperative relation to the desired bulb.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved -type ofreflector which. is adjustablymounted'so that it maybe moved 4o intoposition to keep thelight out of the eyesof' the operator and vdirectthe light against the side of a freight car when making a recordof thecar numbers. Another objectl'of the Ainvention is to so A ,a5 constructthis lantern-that it may be readily carried under one Varm or grasped bythe handle and carriedzin a swinging position.

Another object of theinvention is to provide a lantern having a casingof an improved construction and carrying a head at one end which willbe. removably mounted so that the plate or head'can be removed when itis desired to make repairs'or adjustment to the switch mechanism carriedthereelec- This invention is illustrated in the accompanylng drawings,wherein:

igure 1 1s a view showing the improved lantern in sidev elevation.

Figure, 2 isan enlarged vertical sectional view through the lantern.Figure 3 is a .transverse sectional view taken along the line 3-3 ofFig. 1.

Figure 4fA is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 4 4 ofFig. 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged sectional view through the lower portion of thecasing with the bulb and switch carrying head in place. Figure 6 is anenlarged fragmentary view `of the bulb carrying plate or head with oneof the bulbs place.

Figure 7. is a transverse sectional view taken along the line 7--7 ofFig. 6.

and reiector plate shown in Figure 8` is a perspective view of the"switch mechanism, the view being taken looking at :the inner face of thecasing head.

This improved lantern is provided with a casing 1 of any suitable shapeto contain a battery, which is open at its ends and has itsupper endclosed by a cover 2 hingedly mounted as shown at 3 so that this covermay be swung to an open position when` it is desired to insert or removea battery. A .Collar 4 is .placed about the lower end por- -tion of thecasing 1 and at certainpoints is Ycrimped to provide pockets 5 toreceive the rods, 6 which constitute supports and have their lower endsconnectedwith a base forming ring 7. Certain of these rods 6 areextended upwardly to provide arms 8 which carry at their upper ends cupsor sockets 9 into which will be secured the ends of va U- shapedhandle10, the handle being formed of rigid material so that a firmhandle willbe provided.

The lower end of the casing is provided with an inwardly extendingflange 11 which `is spaced from the endof the casing thus providing anannular seat 'to receive the ring 12 which will be soldered in place.This ring 12 carries U-shaped guard strips 13 in order to protect thebulbs 14 and 15 from being accidentally struck and broken when thelantern Iis in use. A plate 16'which forms4 a closure head for the lowerend of the casing fits into this casing and rests u `on the `flange 11as shown in Fig. 2,. Thls plate carries a gasket 17 formed of rubber andl adapted to provide spacing and cushioning lill@ vided at its inner endwith a bulb engaging 'arni'22 and. at its outer end with an actuat-A inghandle 23. The arm 22 is provided with a head 24 which extends beyondthe sides of the arm and has its extended side portions. bent upwardlyas shown in Fig. 2 so that the head may easily move into engagement witheither of the bulbs 14 and 15., This arm is formed of resilient materialand is provided with a pin extension 25 which rests upon the strip 26and will be seated' inV one ofthe seats or pockets 27 when the arm isinen-` gagement with one of thejbulb's. When the switch arm is in theneutral position of Fig. 4, the stem extension will be positioned uponthe portion of the strip 26 between the pockets 27 and the switch willbe held stationary by friction. By means of this construction, theswitch arm 22 is prevented. from accidentally moving into engagementwith one of the bulbs and will also be prevented from accidentallyslip-ping out of contact with the bulb which it is desired to l haveilluminated and thus current will be bulb illuminated whereas whentheswitch prevented from being wastedpand the annoyance of having thebulb extinguished before desired avoided. The central contact 28 of thebattery engages the switch ,and it will be readily seen that when theswitcharmis in engagement with one of the bulbs the circuit will becompleted and the switch arm is in the position shown in'Fig. 4, thebulbs will not be illuminatedA due to the fact that the strip 26 isinsulated from the'plate or head 16 and the switch is also insulatedfrom the head .or plate 16.

When this device is in use,4 the b attery18 will be placed in the casingwith its terminals or contacts 19and 28 engaging `the head or plate 16and switch. The cover will then beshut and since the battery rests uponthe cushion 17, the battery will be held firmly in place when the coveris shut. After the battery is put in place, the switch can be turned bymeans of the handle -23t0 bring the switch arm-22 into engagement withthe desired hulb and this bulb AVwill he illuminated. The lantern may becarried by means of the handle and may be used in the ordi-v nary mannerfor signalling or it may be 'fused when held by the handle to illuminatee roadway and the light will be directed y down upon the roadway? If itis desired to use the lantern for inspecting cars and maliing notes ofthe numbers,'the lantern will be placed under one arm and `when thusheld will be extendedforwadly and rearwardly of the operator. -When usedin this manner, the bulb 14 will be illuminatedand the white vlightfromfthis bulb will be directed forwardly of the user. As previouslystated, it is desiredto prevent the'light from .shining in the operatorseyes whenthe, lantern is heldin thisman-ner and in order to do so,thereJ has been provided a plate 29 which is loosely upon a pin 30carried by a bracket 3l'. This-plate 29 is slidably` as well asrotatably mounted'upon this pin 30 and is engaged by' a spring 32 sothat it will b e yieldably held in the position shown, in Fig. 6. One ofthe bearing arms of the bracket 31 is crimped to provide pockets orSea-ts 33 and it will be readily seen that .due to the action of thespring 32, the plate will be held in position for extending into theseat as the plate is swungv from the position shown` in full lines inFig. 7 toward the-posi tion indicatedby dotted lines in this ligure. Theplate canthusbe moved to an adjusted position! with the' plate extendingoutwardly from the head 16 and will be releasably vbut .securely heldin. the adjusted position.

'When lin the position indicated by dotted lines, the light will beprevented from shining upwardly into\the operators eyes and -he will beable to readily see the numbers upon the freightA car. t i.

There has thus been yprovided a'lantern so constructed, that it can bereadily used at night for illuminatingr cars, the light4 beingfdirectedtoward the [cars but prevented Ifrom' shining in the eyes of theoperator. It will be further noted that'the lantern -is so constructedthat it-may be readily used Ain the ordinary manner of a lantern forsig- -nalllng andcan further be used for directing light upon the groundIso that the user vcan readily see his way. aroundin the dark. it shouldalso be noted that since. the head or plate 16 is not .solderedorotherwise perq manently fastened, it can be easily removedwhendesired. l

claini: w V .l A 1. AnA electric lantern comprising a casing openbatits'upper and lower ends, a removable cover for the upper 'en'd of Saidcasing, ahead for the lower end of-the casing removably mounted inthecasing and closing the lower end, bulb carrying sockets carried by saidhead, and switch means carriedbyrsaid 4head for selectively engagingbulbs mounted in thesockets and closing a circuit from a battery in thecasing through a selected bulb to illuminate the bulb.

2. An electric lantern comprising a casing open ended and provided withinwardl. extending abutment means adj aoent one en a removab-le closurefor the other end of said casing, a head of conducting materialpositioned in said casing and engaging said abutment means, bulbcarrying sockets carried by said head, a switch element movably carriedby said head for selectively engaging bulbs in the sockets and closing acircuit from a battery in the casing through a selected bulb, thebattery having a terminal engaging said switch and a second terminalengaging said head and said switch beingl operable externally of saidhead. l

3. An electric lantern comprising .a casing having a head at one end,bul-bv carrying means carried by said head, whereby a plurality of bulbsmay be mounted with their 'bases extending through the head, and

Switch means, said switch means comprising a stem journalled andinsulated from said head, an actuating handle carried by the outer endof said stem, a contact arm'extending from the inner end of said stemVand having its freel end portion provided with a head extending beyondthe sides of the arm and having its side portions bent to provide camsections perm1tting the arm to ride easily into engagement with bulbs,and means for releasably holding the switch in an adjusted positio l.rlhe structure of claim 3 having a pin extending from the'head of saidswitch arm, and a strip extending across and-insulated from the head otsaid casing and provided with sockets to receive the pin extension ofthe switch arm, the pin extension engaging said strip between thepockets when the switch arm is in a neutral position.

5. An electric lantern comprising a casing open at one end., abutmentmeans adjacent the open end of said casing, a removable head for saidcasing fitting into the casing and against the abutment means to closethe means carried by said head, switch means carried bythe head inoperative'relation to the bulb carrying means, a collar about saidcasing having pockets, a support comprising a base member, armsextending from the base member and mountel in sald pocket, certain ofsaid arms extending upwardly and having sockets at their upper ends, ahandle mounted inthe sockets of said arms and extending beyond the otherend o f said casing.

7. An electric lantern comprising a bat f tery casing having a head atone end and a removable closure for its other end, a bulb carryingsocket carried by said head, switch means carried by the head inoperative relation to the bulb carrying socket.v a bearing bracketcarried b y said head adjacent the bulb calrryling socket and havingspaced bearing arms, a pin carried by said arms, a plate pivotally andslidably mounted upon said pin, and spring means upon said pin engagingsaid plate to yieldably hold the plate in engagement with one of thebearing arms, the last mentioned bearing arm being provided with seatsdisposed radially of said pin for receiving the plate to releasa-bl holdthe plate in a set position. n testimony whereof l have hereunto set myhand.

ALBERT ANSON PEARSON.

